Image Credit: Senator Bo Watson / Facebook & Canva.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
During a visit to the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club on Monday, State Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson-District 11) warned that Democrats are seeking to make some significant moves in the upcoming midterm elections and called for Republican voters to “match the intensity” or face defeat at the polls.
Watson said Democrats are focused on high energy and grocery prices, “and they’re looking for upsets.” Combined with Republican complacency, he believes Republicans could wind up with “a math problem” on their hands.
“When people show up at the polls, this is a Republican county in a Republican state. I beg you to vote and call your friends to get them to go to the polls,” Watson implored.
He also reminded Republicans that Tennessee has been a historically Democrat-controlled state, only flipping red about 15 years ago.
When Watson first joined the legislature in 2006, Republicans were rallying to gain control of the Senate. “We had no hope of winning the House that year,” he said.
It wasn’t until 2010 that Republicans managed to win both chambers, and should Democrats prevail in several tight races the Republican supermajority could be in jeopardy.
Watson’s comments were similar to those recently made by State Rep. Michele Reneau at an event for The Tennessee Conservative where she remarked on the eagerness amongst Tennessee Democrats, suggesting the recent congressional redistricting could have played a part in energizing their base.
“We are at an interesting place right now, the Democrats are very motivated across the state. This is something like we’ve never seen before,” she remarked. “And I’m just gonna say it, I told you so. When we did the [U.S.] House redistricting, I said this is a bad idea because I believed it was going to motivate Democrats even more, and it certainly has.”
“The Democrat Party put out a letter earlier this season that said, ‘They think they can do this to us, so we’re going to show them, we’re going to show up.’ They do, they know how to motivate their base to get out and vote, and we’re seeing the ramifications of it right now. But we have potentially nine or ten House Republicans whose seats are on the line right now. We think they can absolutely be overturned by a Democrat, losing the supermajority,” she added.
Reneau pointed out, “It’s very difficult to squash motions by our friends across the aisle if we don’t have a supermajority, and so it makes it a painful process for legislators…Losing ten seats will draw more out-of-state money in Tennessee, and I just want you to be aware of the trajectory that could put us on, it would be a very scary trajectory. I think that the race this November is one that people are watching across the nation.”
Watson and Reneau both urgently emphasized the importance of Republicans voting in this election cycle, indicating there seems to be genuine concern amongst Republican leadership that Democrats may be a bigger threat than previously considered.
Early voting concludes Thursday, Oct. 29, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
